Provincial regulators pondering plan for Saamis Solar Park

By COLLIN GALLANT on February 22, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

The City of Medicine Hat has registered as an observer as provincial regulators consider a private developer’s plan to build a large solar project on a swath of land in the city’s north end.

Irish renewable power developer DP Energy proposes to construct the Saamis Solar Park on land leased from Viterra, north of Crescent Heights, and feed power produced by 300,000 solar panels on to the Alberta electricity grid.

At the deadline to submit public feedback on Feb. 16, a total of 10 other parties registered with the Alberta Utilities Commission to oppose the project.

They include a local environmentalist, three bareland owners and six residential property owners near the project outline that encompasses five sections of land, including but not limited to the former tailings pond of the Westco Fertilizer plant.

That dry pond was capped with clay in 2003 and is bound by environmental regulations that bar most ground disturbance development.

DP Energy’s plan is to secure the arrays on concrete bases to avoid driving piles into the phosphogypsum stack, but piles would be employed on eastern portions of the plant layout that was expanded from an original 200 megawatt proposal to 325 megawatts last year.

DP Energy developed two similar, though smaller projects, on former industrial sites in Calgary. Those were purchased by Atco in late 2021 and are now under construction.

In Medicine Hat, three farmland owners on the eastern edge state in filings they are concerned about their future ability to develop or sell the land for new housing.

Two argue the facility should not be allowed to go past Division Avenue eastward.

The seven homeowners in Northlands or Terrace state the plant will be unsightly and detract from their properties, affect animal migration and be a nuisance.

DP also says in its application that measures will be taken to mitigate concerns of nearby residents in an 800-metre buffer zone, and has submitted standard glare, noise, wildfire, historic resources and transportation studies related to the site.

Journey Energy, the operator of wells in the Glauc C oilfield has also registered requesting that its operations and ability to service several wells and other facilities in the area not be hampered by the development.

A comment period opened by the AUC in December closed this month, and the body will now rule on whether further hearings should be held.